Tag: green energy

Energy Resilience Fund 2025

Energy Resilience Fund 2025

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The Energy Resilience Fund (ERF) provides a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to bolster the energy resilience of eligible charities and social enterprises in England.   The Fund is the successor to the pilot Energy Resilience Fund managed by Key Fund and its primary purpose is to enable the supply of renewable energy to an organisation’s own building (s). Many industrial heritage sites may find that they qualify and are suitable for such a fund.

The Fund is delivered by a partnership made up of Social Investment Business, Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Co-operative and Community Finance, Groundwork UK, Key Fund, Resonance Ltd, The Architectural Heritage Fund, and The Ubele Initiative. 

Applicants must have fewer than 250 employees, £35m assets, or £40m turnover, but a turnover of more than £100,000, and be based primarily in England. For further details follow this link:

Energy Resilience Fund

Hydro-electric Power Returns to Cromford Mills

Hydro-electric Power Returns to Cromford Mills

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The Arkwright Society has secured £330,000 from Severn Trent Water and Derbyshire County Council to install a new green energy system at Cromford Mills, Derbyshire. The original mill, restored and owned by the Society, was built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright and was the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill. It is a key part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

The project will involve reinstating a waterwheel and installing a 20kW hydro-turbine to power the buildings. Water heat pumps will also be installed in the structure and an old turbine in nearby Cromford village will be restored. Work on the new power systems is due to begin in September 2022 with the aim of being fully operational by June 2023.

Simon Gill, the society’s operations director, said: “It’s probably the most significant thing that’s going to happen here to return water power to the original mill that created the first factory system at the start of the Industrial Revolution.” He added that an aspect of the scheme which was “close to his heart” was the reduction of the site’s carbon footprint and emissions. When complete the project will also be used to educate people visiting the site about renewable energy sources. For further details on the site follow this link: https://www.cromfordmills.org.uk/about/